Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 24, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 42 4340 7343 Osprey 0 31 31 Bald Eagle 0 21 70 Northern Harrier 0 47 56 Sharp-shinned Hawk 6 970 1006 Cooper's Hawk 4 60 117 Northern Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 112 698 Broad-winged Hawk 61 667 667 Red-tailed Hawk 2 749 1661 Rough-legged Hawk 0 27 42 Golden Eagle 0 5 13 American Kestrel 2 29 31 Merlin 0 5 8 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Accipiter 0 5 5 Unknown Buteo 0 30 34 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 1 2 Unknown Raptor 0 2 4 Total: 117 7104 11791 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7.75 hours Official Counter: Craig Corcoran, Matt Mills Observers: Craig Corcoran, Gord Kozak, John Stevens Visitors: Many thanks to Gord Kozak, John Stevens and Craig Corcoran for helping with the count. Bob Stamp, Rick Snider, Michael Clemens and James Hoffman spent a few hours on the tower in the morning, Darren Smillie, Norm Schipper, a woman named Tammy stopped in and got a few photos of a low BW. Weather: Cold with gusty NW winds. Great skies for spotting birds. Raptor Observations: A steady trickle of Broad-winged Hawks. Most were low along the ridge with a few small groups high overhead in the afternoon. Not much else. 3 local Red-tails (1 juv., 2 ad.) entertained us all day stooping and carrying prey. Non-raptor Observations: 5 Common Loons, lots of DCCO, 5 Purple Finches, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, a single Junco, a calling Eastern Towhee, a pair of Brown-headed Cowbirds, Song Sparrow, assorted Tree and Barn Swallows. In the afternoon a Raccoon plopped down under the bird feeder and went to town. Predictions: Milder and with lighter winds. Promising developments, but clear conditions will allow birds to get high and difficult to spot. Also, the status of the pipeline is uncertain after such a cold week. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Matt Mills () Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at: http://www.niagarapeninsulahawkwatch.org/ Site Description: Hawk migration monitoring at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in Grimsby, Ontario is conducted by the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch (NPH). All counting is done by volunteers. Not all members are counters nor does a counter have to be a member. Typically one person is the designated counter for each day but other observers present assist with the spotting and identification. Counting is done from a steel observation tower with a wooden floor. For wind protection on cold days, particularly in March, a black plastic wind guard is installed around the tower's platform. This platform easily accommodates ten people but on most busy days, no more than five or six observers would be on it. The site lies within a publicly accessible property owned by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. There is no charge for admittance. The tower stands in the centre of a mowed area with a gravel ring road near the outer edge. This provides lots of room to park vehicles (along the road) and set up lawn chairs, telescopes and cameras. Toilet facilities are present. During the counting season, the NPH erect a counting board to display seven day's worth of observation data for the public. The box enclosing the sign contains brochures and silhouette sheets for the public as well as bulletin boards with news and historical sighting records. Directions to site: To get to Beamer CA, take the QEW to Exit 71/72, follow Christie St./Mountain St. to the top of the escarpment, turn right on Ridge Road West, and go 1.6km to Quarry Rd. Turn right on Quarry Rd. and drive 100m to the conservation area. Parking is normally available inside the park. If parking at the entrance or on the roads, do NOT leave valuables in your car. Please note: Data in this report is not official until reviewed and finalized after the end of the season. © 2015 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
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